Bathing Beauty

Bathing is a great opportunity to bond with your horse and assess any health conditions that may escape your attention during regular grooming. The answer to the question “How often should I bathe my horse?” varies, depending on your activity, showing schedule, weather and environment. Oftentimes, a thorough rinsing to remove sweat and loose hair is enough to keep your horse’s coat and skin healthy, and over-shampooing may cause dry skin and coat conditions.

For those times when a shampoo is in order, have on hand a rubber currycomb, sweat scraper, gentle horse shampoo, mane and tail detangler, hose, sponge, towel and bucket of water. When using shampoo, it’s important to use only products specifically made for bathing horses, as other products can deplete essential natural oils and dull the hair coat.

Brush the horse before the bath to remove excess dirt and hair. Then start slowly; most horses love a bath, but for those who are nervous, you may want to start by using a bucket of water (in lieu of a hose), washcloth and sponge. If it’s too cold for a bath, a good going-over with a warm, damp towel might suffice until the weather improves.

If your horse is uneasy, start by rinsing legs first and then move up the body. You can also bathe in sections, like you would wash a car. For horses sensitive to water on their faces, a good wipe with a wet cloth or towel (no soap) is enough. Dunking the whole tail into a bucket of soapy water and swishing it around is a great way to rinse out dirt.

Make sure your horse is completely dry before returning him to his stall. A freshly bathed horse will almost always roll, as he is itchy until he dries completely and you don’t want your efforts to be for naught.

Still deciding if you should bathe your horse? Here are some sound bathing reasons:

Your horse is going through his end-of-spring shed-out

Your horse is caked with mud that’s too thick to get off with a currycomb

You are preparing for an event. Bathe your horse the day before show day

You have a light-colored horse with a stained coat and you are preparing for an event

You need to remove grime and sweat from under tack after a particularly strenuous workout